Visa rolls out new B2B payments platform in SA

Visa Commercial Pay (VCP), a new integrated business-to-business (B2B) payments platform, has launched in South Africa. The service is designed to simplify how organisations manage supplier payments, corporate travel, and operational spend. VCP can enable secure virtual card issuance, automate reconciliation, and provide real-time visibility into spending through a centralised platform.

VCP was launched by Visa, a global leader in digital payments, in partnership with First National Bank (FNB) and Rand Merchant Bank (RMB).

The launch comes at a time of rapid growth in SA’s digital payments landscape, driven by increased adoption of mobile and online payments and a broader shift toward cashless transactions. The local digital payments market is estimated at approximately $10-billion, reflecting strong momentum in the transition to digital financial services.

However, says Visa, many businesses still rely on fragmented, manual processes that limit efficiency, control and visibility. VCP aims to address these challenges by enabling automation, enhancing data transparency, and strengthening security through capabilities such as tokenisation and virtual card technology.

“The launch of Visa Commercial Pay in partnership with FNB and RMB marks an important step in reimagining how South African businesses manage payments,” says Lineshree Moodley, Visa SA country head. “With Visa Commercial Pay, we are introducing a scalable, data-rich platform that brings together payments, control, and insights into one seamless experience – enabling smarter business decisions, unlocking working capital, and strengthening supplier ecosystems. As the first launch of this solution in South Africa, it sets a new benchmark for innovation in the region and reinforces our commitment to supporting South Africa’s journey toward a more inclusive, efficient, and digitally driven economy.”

Senzo Nsibande, CEO of FNB core banking, retail and business banking, says: “At FNB, we are committed to enabling businesses to operate more efficiently and competitively through smart, integrated financial solutions. The introduction of Visa Commercial Pay strengthens our ability to help clients digitise and optimise their payment processes – reducing administrative complexity, improving visibility overspend, and enhancing control across their operations. In partnership with Visa, we are bringing a globally proven capability to the South African market, tailored to meet the evolving needs of our business clients.”

The partnership combines Visa’s global payments network with FNB and RMB’s local banking capabilities. VCP is aimed at corporate clients managing payments across travel and non-travel use cases.

Reeza Hartley, RMB product head for corporate card issuing, says: “Corporate travel continues to change, and businesses want solutions that reinforce governance while keeping operations simple. With Visa Commercial Pay, we are giving our clients a smarter and more secure way to manage travel and operational spend. The platform strengthens control, protects against misuse, and gives finance teams the visibility and data they need to make better decisions more quickly. For South African corporates, this is a meaningful step towards modernising how payments are managed across travel and broader business expenses.”

Globally, platforms such as VCP are used to reduce reliance on cash and older payment methods. The South African launch aims to give businesses access to digital payment capabilities that can support more efficient payment processes, stronger controls, and wider digitisation across the payments ecosystem.